Dragonfly enthusiasts have recorded the presence of a rare dragonfly that was hitherto unseen in Kerala.
Details –
- They spotted the Spiny Horntail, Burmagomphus chaukulensis Joshi, Ogale & Sawant, 2022 (or B. chaukulensis), during a recent expedition to the Kottiyoor forests of Kannur.
- The species that is known to be endemic to the Western Ghats was discovered in Maharashtra earlier this year.
- Prior to their finding, the dragonfly genus Burmagomphus was represented by three species – B. cauvericus, B. pyramidalis and B. laidlawi.
- While B. laidlawi is found throughout the Western Ghats, B. cauvericus is more restricted in its distribution. B. pyramidalis is found in the Western Ghats as well as in Peninsular India.
- All other species of the genus are found in the Western and Eastern Himalayas.
- The new species can be separated from its congeners by the markings on the lateral thorax and peculiar shape of anal appendages, said Mr. Nair.
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